Capacity development is absolutely critical to ensure ocean protections are effective. Read this new blog from Lihla Noori through #TogetherForTheOcean to find out more: for-the-ocean.org/why-capacity...
Tomorrow: join us for the CMS webinar on health and migratory species! 🦍🩺
Learn why wildlife health is vital for conservation, what this means for migratory species, and how it connects to wider One Health efforts as we look ahead to #CMSCOP15.
Register: www.cms.int/webinar-health
With @wcs.org
Lights. Camera. Take Action. 🎬 🌎
Tickets for our 2026 REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival are on sale.
Juried screenings begin Thursday, April 23, at the AMC Lincoln Square 13 and run to Sunday, April 26, including a special presentation of Disneynature’s Orangutan.
Learn more: www.reelwild.org
** Opportunity to contribute to a special issue of PARKS on Marine Protected & Conserved Areas, to launch at IMPAC6 in Senegal **
To have ideas for a paper considered, fill out the Expression of Interest by 15 April 2026: docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ab9...
Celebrating the thousands of women who work for @wcs.org who have devoted their careers to conservation, in a myriad of ways, for the planet and its people. I particularly salute our dedicated marine teams - both globally & in the field. #InternationalWomensDay
To honor #BlackHistoryMonth, Ayesha Smith of WCS's Prospect Park Zoo shares her journey. “As a Black keeper in conservation,“ she writes, “I am driven to help others see that there is space for them here too.“
🌎 Read it at PBS Nature: www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/...
While coral reefs face severe threats, overly bleak narratives can undermine action. A group of marine scientists, including from @wcs.org, have published their 100-year visions of sustainable and equitable futures.
🪸 🌏 doi.org/10.1038/s441...
Great news for oceanic white tip sharks. Countries around the world voted to prohibit all commercial trade, the highest level of protection under the #CITES convention, write Juan Carlos Navarro, Cristina Mittermeier & @lukedavid301.bsky.social in @timemagazine.bsky.social:
time.com/7362449/shar...
** PAPER ALERT ** The future of #coralreefs does not have to be doom & gloom. Just out in npj Ocean Sustainability, we imagine coral reef futures offering alternatives aspiring to sustainability and equity for coral reefs. Read the open access paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Governments have made international commitments to equity. However, progress has stalled due to unclear definitions and measures of equity, limited capacity for resource-intensive assessments, and a lack of actionable guidance. Now we have a tool - the #OceanEquityIndex #OEI #BlueJustice
The #OceanEquityIndex enables:
- Screening of funding proposals
- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and tracking progress over time
- Accountability to policy commitments
- Reflection & learning to inform adaptive management
Read the full paper from Nature here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Published in Nature today: the Ocean Equity Index (OEI), the first global tool to measure fairness in ocean policies and projects. OEI turns equity from an abstract goal into a measurable standard for ocean decision-making.
The OEI is free and easy to use: oceanequityindex.org
Pleased to be featured in a collection of diverse viewpoints on coral reef restoration in this issue of One Earth. Read the full collection here: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mIX8_wvRV...
(1/6) 🌊 ICRS 2026 registrations are OPEN!
Working together to ensure a future for coral reefs - join us next year in New Zealand!
www.icrs2026.nz
So excited that this work is finally out in the world! An example of working with practitioners to develop a mathematical model that can provide insight into the usefulness of management methods for coral reef health in the region.
**NEW PAPER ALERT** Read about the methods behind the development of the new #IUCNCEESP guide on measuring equity in marine conservation in our new paper in #PARKS. Access the paper here: parksjournal.com/wp-content/u...
@nathanjbennett.bsky.social @markandrachuk.bsky.social
“This is one of the greatest days in the history of shark and ray conservation.”
Historic trade protections were adopted at #CITESCOP20 today. The next step is strong implementation on the ground, says WCS’s @lukedavid301.bsky.social. 🌏
A major victory for sharks and rays at #CITESCOP20. All CITES shark and ray proposals pass – marking the most comprehensive advance in global shark conservation in CITES history. This took a true partnership effort to achieve the outcome.
@lukedavid301.bsky.social
newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...
Alfred DeGemmis of @wcs.org and Rachel James of WWF explain how coral reefs are largely missing from country reporting to international biodiversity and climate agreements - a lost opportunity for targeted action to promote climate resilience.
for-the-ocean.org/now-or-never...
New study in Coral Reefs by @wcs.org's Tim McClanahan and Jesse Kosgei explains how fishers in Kenya are staying in the fishery even though stocks are declining and they are not earning a living wage.
newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...
Ocean finance still falls far short of what’s needed. We have a long way to go to put it into the hands of those who really need it. We describe what’s actually working in blue finance, as well as the proven mechanisms that must now scale to deliver measurable, community-centered impact.
As #COP30 unfolds in Belém, one message is clear: ocean finance pledges aren’t enough.
A new op-ed by @stacyjupiter.bsky.social, @oceanknigge.bsky.social, & Loreley Picourt highlights proven tools, from guarantees to community-led governance, that can turn commitments into impact.
🌎 bit.ly/4oDOOIu
LISTEN: Despite over a decade of protections, a widespread illegal trade in shark and rays persists.
This underscores the importance of the upcoming #CITESCOP20 meeting, where governments have the opportunity to take stronger action.
🌏 🔊 apple.co/4nShUmo
A new study finds persistent illegal trade in protected shark species. @wcs.org has a plan in our Marine Strategy to tackle this. We are working to secure CITES Appendix I listings and are using established crime science techniques to develop tailored preventative responses to illegal trade.
Proud to be one of 15 global teams awarded funding through the @bezosearthfund.org’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge.
We’re advancing foundational AI models for coral reef monitoring and inviting divers and citizen scientists everywhere to join the effort.
🪸 bit.ly/4oxMguW
With our partners, we are working around the clock to find and map all of these special reefs—what we’re calling high integrity climate-resilient coral reefs (HICOR).
The science is clear: Climate resilience is measurable. Hope is actionable, says @stacyjupiter.bsky.social. #HopeForCoral
New science by @wcs.org Director of Marine Science, Dr Tim McClanahan, gives further hope #ForCoral. His review of modelling studies show the outlook for reefs is not uniformly grim – with many reefs remaining stable or improving under the right conditions.
newsroom.wcs.org/News-Release...
A newly released Global Tipping Points report suggested that coral reefs have passed thresholds beyond which they can't bounce back.
Our new study from Fiji shows just the opposite - astonishing, rapid recovery within 4 years of reefs pummeled by a category 5 cyclone.
#ForCoral
ICRS Darwin Medal Nominations due Dec. 15
The ICRS Darwin Medal is the Society’s highest recognition, awarded every four years to a distinguished late-career society member who has made significant scientific contributions recognized globally throughout their career. coralreefs.org/awards-honor...
~~~~~~~~ #GrantSpotlight ~~~~~~~~
We supported @thewcs.bsky.social
'Creating a network of of resilient MPAs in globally significant areas of the Western Indian Ocean 🇰🇪 🇲🇬 🇹🇿 '
🌊 Grant Report: buff.ly/3E4UgS8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
